Ink jet printing techniques have recently been suggested for duplicating and printing operations which have several advantages over more conventional methods. For example, an optical system is not required which is often expensive and requires a large amount of space in the machine. Secondly, a pictorial optical input is not required as the graphic information is assembled on a point by point or scan line by scan line basis, electrical or other discrete stimuli substituting for the pictorial optical input. Thirdly, the information guiding the ink jet array is storable and may be transmitted over distances. Fourthly, it is possible to create original documents as distinct from reproduction of existing graphic information. There are some drawbacks, however. Once a document has been created at some cost of time and instrumental sophistication, multiple copies require that the same process be repeated over and over all the while holding the guiding information in a memory bank and using the electrical circuits to the fullest. Further, to permit high speed operation, rather coarse scan patterns have to be followed, thus sacrificing quality for speed. It is now been discovered that the advantages of ink jet printing can be realized and the disadvantages obviated by using the technique to prepare a printing master rather than the ultimate copy. In this manner, the ink jet printing procedure need not be repeated over and over to make copies thereby limiting the output, but the master can be made more easily and faster than conventional master methods.